Certified Residential Appraiser Practice Exam

When clients began asking for faxed copies of appraisal reports, appraisers still had to hard mail copies of reports anyway. True or False?

1. True

2. False

3. It varied by state

4. Only for certain clients

The correct answer is: True

The statement is true because, during the transition period when clients started requesting faxed copies of appraisal reports, many appraisers were still required to provide hard copies for legal and compliance reasons. This practice often persisted due to the need for original signatures, the legal standards governing the delivery of documents, and the specific requirements set by lending institutions or state laws that mandated that a physical copy must be maintained. Even though faxes were becoming more common for immediate communication, the necessity of maintaining a hard copy served as a safeguard for document integrity and compliance with regulatory obligations. Consequently, appraisers found themselves in a position where they had to satisfy both the immediate request for a faxed document and the ongoing requirement to mail hard copies. This reflects the industry’s gradual shift towards more digital practices while still adhering to traditional standards until fully updated legislation or best practices took hold.